Isabel Jewell


Isabel Jewell was an American actress most active in the 1930s and early 1940s. Some of her most famous films were Ceiling Zero, Marked Woman, A Tale of Two Cities, and Gone with the Wind.

Early life and career

Born in Shoshoni, Wyoming, on July 19, 1907, Jewell was the daughter of Emory Lee Jewell and Livia A. Willoughby Jewell. Her father was "a prominent... doctor and medical researcher." She was educated at St. Mary's Academy in Minnesota and at Hamilton College in Kentucky.
After years in theater stock companies, including an 87-week stint in Lincoln, Nebraska, she hit the big time after getting a part on Broadway in Up Pops the Devil. She received glowing critical reviews for Blessed Event as well.
Jewell's film debut came in Blessed Event. She had been brought to Hollywood by Warner Brothers for the film version of Up Pops the Devil. Jewell gained other supporting roles, appearing in a variety of films in the early 1930s. She played stereotypical gangsters' women in such films as Manhattan Melodrama and Marked Woman. She was well-received playing against type as the seamstress sentenced to death on the guillotine along with Sydney Carton. Her most significant role was Sally Bates in She Had to Choose. Jewell's films included Gone with the Wind , Northwest Passage, High Sierra, and the low-budget The Leopard Man.
By the end of the 1940s, her roles had reduced in significance to the degree that her performances were often uncredited, e.g. The Snake Pit. She performed in radio dramas in the 1950s, including This Is Your FBI.
In 1972, Jewell appeared opposite Edie Sedgwick in the film Ciao! Manhattan. Her final film was the B movie Sweet Kill, the directorial debut of Curtis Hanson, a future Academy Award winner.

Personal life

Jewell's first marriage occurred when she wed Lovell "Cowboy" Underwood when she was 19.
In the mid to late 1930s, Jewell was seen at nightclubs with actor William Hopper.. In 1936, she wed Owen Crump, divorcing in 1941 to facilitate her next wedding.
In 1941, Jewell married actor Paul Marion, who was then a private in the Army. They separated in 1943 and were divorced on May 12, 1944.
Jewell was a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.

Death

Jewell died in Los Angeles, California on April 5, 1972, aged 64, from suicide after taking an overdose of barbiturates. Her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

Legacy

In 1960, Jewell was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to motion pictures. The star is located at 1560 Vine Street.

Filmography

YearSeriesRoleEpisode
1952The Adventures of Kit CarsonMary Barker"The Trap"
1952The UnexpectedSister"One for the Money"
1952Mr. & Mrs. NorthAnne Noble"The Nobles"
1952Fireside Theatre"The Boxer and the Stranger"
1953Fireside Theatre"The Twelfth Juror"
1955Treasury Men in Action"The Case of the Lady in Hiding"
1956Dr. ChristianMae"Insurance Policy"
1957Climax!Actress" Murder Has a Deadline"
1961The AquanautsMiss Port"The Defective Tank Adventure"
1961Lock Up"Planter's Death"
1962The UntouchablesSophie"The Night They Shot Santa Claus"
1964Kraft Suspense TheatreMrs. Lyons"The Gun"
1965GunsmokeMme. Ahr"Circus Trick"